((Steven Hunt continued weeks later, from A Bad Day))
Yossarian's heart sank. Something was terribly wrong if everything was all right and they had no excuse for turning back...
"That's oddly fitting" Steven Hunt muttered to himself. He sat, cross legged, upon a bench just outside of Bayview's soccer field. A small tree provided him some degree of shade here.
Novels and Steven didn't usually get along well, if only because he never could commit to reading them all the way through. Today was a bit of a different story... he'd finished nearly every assignment he'd had for his last year of school; short of exams, there was really nothing else to do at this point. It had somewhat reached the lull in between the fun end of year partying, and the death throes of his courses wreaking havoc on his sanity.
So now he found himself sitting underneath a tree, reading Catch-22. It probably wasn't the best thing to read when one's sanity was in question, but as mentioned before... there really wasn't anything else to do. Everything just seemed to have completely calmed itself in Steven's life.... Barring getting the shit beaten out of him a few weeks ago, and his extended family cutting off all contact with him on the premise that he was gay. Aside from that one bad day, nothing eventful had really been happening at all. He'd made attempts to call up a few friends of his, but they all had different things they were up to, and most of his friends still had a lot of work piled on them.
He closed the novel and slid it inside of his backpack, snuggled against his laptop and the myriad of papers loosely joined together by one severely overworked paper clip. A gust of wind threatened to knock them loose, but was thwarted by Steven closing the bag. Instead it just seemed to blow his hair into his face.
Ack.... good thing I put the book away, probably would've lost the page.
Steven looked around, eying his surroundings. Some people were standing around in the soccer field, and a truck raced by on the road. Apparently, it was carrying several tons of fish sticks. It was followed by a fat man in his fifties driving an old top-down, cigar clenched in his teeth. He glanced at Steven, and smiled.
Wow... that guy just seems to wallow in his own awesomeness.
Still sitting on the bench, Steven rubbed his eyes and prayed for something more interesting to come by.
Closing In (Open to Public)
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AtomicWaffle†
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Closing In (Open to Public)
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Lillian Hayes had a free period at that time, having just gotten off a stuffy lecture in her English class on John Milton. Strangely, the lecture was not on Paradise Lost, Milton's most famous work, but his treatise on censorship, Areopagitica, a word she had trouble pronouncing at first. It had given her a lot to think about, but she would have still preferred to have discussed Paradise Lost. Matters like censorship were more her brother's bag.
She brought a copy of the book anyway, because she'd always been curious about what it contained beyond the simple plot summaries she'd heard of in general. Plus, with the Milton segment of the curriculum in full swing, they were bound to get around to it eventually, and she'd have a leg up on her studies this way.
Lily was about to sit under the tree when she spotted Steve Hunt on a bench, also with his face buried in a book. She'd heard rumors about him getting beaten up by someone the other day; he seemed like he was still recovering, but then again, Lily didn't know too much about him.
She decided to sit not on the bench, but on the grass a few feet away. He probably didn't want to be disturbed, but she couldn't help but talk to him anyway.
"Hey."
She brought a copy of the book anyway, because she'd always been curious about what it contained beyond the simple plot summaries she'd heard of in general. Plus, with the Milton segment of the curriculum in full swing, they were bound to get around to it eventually, and she'd have a leg up on her studies this way.
Lily was about to sit under the tree when she spotted Steve Hunt on a bench, also with his face buried in a book. She'd heard rumors about him getting beaten up by someone the other day; he seemed like he was still recovering, but then again, Lily didn't know too much about him.
She decided to sit not on the bench, but on the grass a few feet away. He probably didn't want to be disturbed, but she couldn't help but talk to him anyway.
"Hey."
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AtomicWaffle†
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"Hey"
An unfamiliar voice broke Steven broke out of his windy, tired stupor and glanced around for the source of the noise. He looked around, and jumped at the sight of a girl sitting near him. He hadn't even heard her approach. He didn't quite know her that well, and could only barely recall her name, though he was fairly unsure.
Lillian... I think.
Aside from her name, he didn't really know her too well, and had only had a few classes with her in the past. She was a member of the Christian club, and had -something- to do with the athletic department, though he couldn't really remember what she did exactly. She ran outside almost completely different social circles and Steven honestly had no clue as to who she really was.
This entire thought process took place in midst of a yawn, which occurred at seemingly the perfect moment. Rarely did he get to think about what he was going to say before he said it. He turned his head towards her (he was still cross-legged on the bench) and idly brushed hair out of his eyes. Finally, he smiled and greeted her.
"Hi...."
He hesitated, checking over in his mind that her name really was "Lillian." It was, as far as he knew. If it was anything else he could probably shrug it off as his own scatterbrained nature.
"....Lillian.... How's it going?"
An unfamiliar voice broke Steven broke out of his windy, tired stupor and glanced around for the source of the noise. He looked around, and jumped at the sight of a girl sitting near him. He hadn't even heard her approach. He didn't quite know her that well, and could only barely recall her name, though he was fairly unsure.
Lillian... I think.
Aside from her name, he didn't really know her too well, and had only had a few classes with her in the past. She was a member of the Christian club, and had -something- to do with the athletic department, though he couldn't really remember what she did exactly. She ran outside almost completely different social circles and Steven honestly had no clue as to who she really was.
This entire thought process took place in midst of a yawn, which occurred at seemingly the perfect moment. Rarely did he get to think about what he was going to say before he said it. He turned his head towards her (he was still cross-legged on the bench) and idly brushed hair out of his eyes. Finally, he smiled and greeted her.
"Hi...."
He hesitated, checking over in his mind that her name really was "Lillian." It was, as far as he knew. If it was anything else he could probably shrug it off as his own scatterbrained nature.
"....Lillian.... How's it going?"
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"Call me Lily," she told him with a smile. She looked back down and turned the page of her book. From what she could tell, Satan had just met his daughter and the Oedipus-rex style progeny. Ick. She made a face at reading that part, but it quickly disappeared. Why exactly did some critics find Satan a sympathetic character again?
She thought about how to breach the subject to Steven, but then she remembered what happened the last few times she butted into the business of other people. If she was going to talk to him about the mugging, she'd have to get him comfortable first.
She looked at the cover of his book. "My brother's read that book," she said to him. "But I don't think I have. What's it about?"
She thought about how to breach the subject to Steven, but then she remembered what happened the last few times she butted into the business of other people. If she was going to talk to him about the mugging, she'd have to get him comfortable first.
She looked at the cover of his book. "My brother's read that book," she said to him. "But I don't think I have. What's it about?"
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AtomicWaffle†
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Stephen blinked, and stared at the large blue softcover in his hands.
"Well... it's kind of hard to explain. It's set around the time of World War 2, and it follows this airman named Yossarian. He has kind of lost the will to fight in the war, and wants to live for as long as humanly possible... So he tries to get out, but there's this whole convoluted bureaucracy that stops him and.... I dunno, i'm kind of half-interested in it, half-not. I've been trying to read more lately but it's getting a bit difficult..."
Shaking his head wearily he looked up from the book, and only seemed to realize the slight tangent he went on. He let out another, smaller yawn and put the book back inside his backpack once again. Come to think of it, he was kind of lost in the novel. He'd been reading it, but he wasn't sure he had really absorbed all there was to get from it. Sometimes he'd start reading, then zone out and realize he was several pages away from where he'd ought to be, and would completely forget what he was reading about.
"Anywho... i'm not the kind of person to talk much about books, I just kind of read them and move on. I mean, I come back to them sometimes, but not often."
He paused, and scratched his sleeve.
"Heh... sorry, I kind of went on for a bit there. So, Lily, what are you reading?"
"Well... it's kind of hard to explain. It's set around the time of World War 2, and it follows this airman named Yossarian. He has kind of lost the will to fight in the war, and wants to live for as long as humanly possible... So he tries to get out, but there's this whole convoluted bureaucracy that stops him and.... I dunno, i'm kind of half-interested in it, half-not. I've been trying to read more lately but it's getting a bit difficult..."
Shaking his head wearily he looked up from the book, and only seemed to realize the slight tangent he went on. He let out another, smaller yawn and put the book back inside his backpack once again. Come to think of it, he was kind of lost in the novel. He'd been reading it, but he wasn't sure he had really absorbed all there was to get from it. Sometimes he'd start reading, then zone out and realize he was several pages away from where he'd ought to be, and would completely forget what he was reading about.
"Anywho... i'm not the kind of person to talk much about books, I just kind of read them and move on. I mean, I come back to them sometimes, but not often."
He paused, and scratched his sleeve.
"Heh... sorry, I kind of went on for a bit there. So, Lily, what are you reading?"
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Lily looked down at her own book. "Paradise Lost," she replied. "The story of how Satan caused Adam and Eve to sin, or at least John Milton's interpretation of the event." She turned a page. "It's kind of coming up in my English class. Last segment before finals. Plus, well, I've always been a bit of a sucker for theological stuff."
She looked into Steven's face again. "It seems like you're distracted. That's probably why you're having trouble with absorbing that book." She sighed. "Maybe if you talked about it some, you'd feel better."
That probably wasn't the right thing to say. Sensitive matters like this weren't discussed immediately, certainly not to a stranger like Lily. "Or not. Whatever's cool."
She looked into Steven's face again. "It seems like you're distracted. That's probably why you're having trouble with absorbing that book." She sighed. "Maybe if you talked about it some, you'd feel better."
That probably wasn't the right thing to say. Sensitive matters like this weren't discussed immediately, certainly not to a stranger like Lily. "Or not. Whatever's cool."
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AtomicWaffle†
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((OOC: Sorry this took such an embarrassing, disgusting amount of time to do, the last few weeks have been a bit annoying, and it's taken me a while to get my shit together))
Steven was about to respond when she immediately seemed to interject, noting that he seemed distracted. Distracted probably wasn't the right word. Overloaded maybe was the best term, albeit the least delicate one. There were so many things to think about at this point in the year - in his life - and yet they all had to be arbitrarily delayed despite the fact that he felt quite ready to jump into his life out of high school. Well, maybe ready wasn't the most accurate term either. Anxious, more like. He wanted to be able go into the coming months juggling his school, his personal life, and the move back home without a misstep. Surely one was to occur, but there was no harm in trying. Of course trying to do so required quite a bit of thought process... Little of which made much actual sense, but it calmed and reassured him to know that he could at least say he had considered beforehand all of the terrible things that could happen to him before they... did.
So no, he wasn't particularly distracted, just anxious and worrisome and preoccupied with thoughts of what he was going to do in the next few months. That, and he was hoping that he could read Catch-22 and understand all the little nuances of the story without having to look them up... Wait a minute, why was this girl analyzing him?
He heard her little afterthought and laughed a little. It seemed she thought she was a little too forward; that she sounded rude. To others, maybe. Steven liked to talk about himself, though he didn't like to think of himself as narcissistic it often seemed that way (to him at least). However, he never passed up an invitation to fulfill another's curiosity about himself. What fun!
He guessed she was thinking of the little parking garage incident that happened a week or so ago. The bruises had gone (finally) but they lingered long enough for everyone to ask about it, ask some more, find out, tell everyone, and stop caring. Or so he thought.
Subconciously dodging the subject, Steven nudged forward a bit more, to the very edge of the bench. The one side of his long, dark hair failed to stay in place away from his eyes as he leaned forward, so he had to once again brush it away from his face. He seemed to break more out of his semi-stupor and now appeared slightly more awake.
"Well actually, I think I might just not really be in the reading mood right now... I've got a lot on my mind."
He paused, suppressing a cough.
"Post-secondary stuff, to be honest. I shouldn't freak out about it, but I do anyways. But I mean, I do enjoy talking... anything in particular you wanted to talk about?"
Steven was about to respond when she immediately seemed to interject, noting that he seemed distracted. Distracted probably wasn't the right word. Overloaded maybe was the best term, albeit the least delicate one. There were so many things to think about at this point in the year - in his life - and yet they all had to be arbitrarily delayed despite the fact that he felt quite ready to jump into his life out of high school. Well, maybe ready wasn't the most accurate term either. Anxious, more like. He wanted to be able go into the coming months juggling his school, his personal life, and the move back home without a misstep. Surely one was to occur, but there was no harm in trying. Of course trying to do so required quite a bit of thought process... Little of which made much actual sense, but it calmed and reassured him to know that he could at least say he had considered beforehand all of the terrible things that could happen to him before they... did.
So no, he wasn't particularly distracted, just anxious and worrisome and preoccupied with thoughts of what he was going to do in the next few months. That, and he was hoping that he could read Catch-22 and understand all the little nuances of the story without having to look them up... Wait a minute, why was this girl analyzing him?
He heard her little afterthought and laughed a little. It seemed she thought she was a little too forward; that she sounded rude. To others, maybe. Steven liked to talk about himself, though he didn't like to think of himself as narcissistic it often seemed that way (to him at least). However, he never passed up an invitation to fulfill another's curiosity about himself. What fun!
He guessed she was thinking of the little parking garage incident that happened a week or so ago. The bruises had gone (finally) but they lingered long enough for everyone to ask about it, ask some more, find out, tell everyone, and stop caring. Or so he thought.
Subconciously dodging the subject, Steven nudged forward a bit more, to the very edge of the bench. The one side of his long, dark hair failed to stay in place away from his eyes as he leaned forward, so he had to once again brush it away from his face. He seemed to break more out of his semi-stupor and now appeared slightly more awake.
"Well actually, I think I might just not really be in the reading mood right now... I've got a lot on my mind."
He paused, suppressing a cough.
"Post-secondary stuff, to be honest. I shouldn't freak out about it, but I do anyways. But I mean, I do enjoy talking... anything in particular you wanted to talk about?"
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Lily couldn't exactly say that she was surprised by Steven's nonchalance. There were several factors at play here that made him inclined to hide his wounds and none that made him want to confide in her. For starters, the two of them barely knew each other, if at all. Then there was the matter of time; it had been days since Steven was supposedly mugged and he'd had plenty of time to get the resulting insecurities out of his system. And finally, the end of high school really was on everyone's mind.
Sometimes Lily gave it plenty of thought herself. She'd probably attend a college within the state and get a Theology major, then be a pastor at a local church. That was the plan, at least. Things could change in the meantime, but it was a simpler, stabler future than the one she thought her brother had planned.
Her brother.
"I see," she said, looking down at the ground. Her hands were close together, touching each other with some fingers and holding on to her book with others. "That's been on my mind, too. I think I'm going to miss my family when I go to college."
She looked back up at Steven. "Could I ask for your advice?" she asked him. "I'm a little worried about my brother."
Sometimes Lily gave it plenty of thought herself. She'd probably attend a college within the state and get a Theology major, then be a pastor at a local church. That was the plan, at least. Things could change in the meantime, but it was a simpler, stabler future than the one she thought her brother had planned.
Her brother.
"I see," she said, looking down at the ground. Her hands were close together, touching each other with some fingers and holding on to her book with others. "That's been on my mind, too. I think I'm going to miss my family when I go to college."
She looked back up at Steven. "Could I ask for your advice?" she asked him. "I'm a little worried about my brother."
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AtomicWaffle†
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"Of course you can."
Steven blinked and stared at a wasp that was buzzing around his head. He temporarily seized up, almost expecting a sudden pain as it stung him on whatever piece of exposed skin it could find. Luckily the small yellow creature lost interest and buzzed off, leaving Steven to return his gaze to Lily, who'd suddenly asked for advice.
Steven was no stranger to this; his general reputation as far more intelligent than he really was had lead to people asking soliciting him for advice all throughout high school and outside of it. He wasn't really sure why they thought he would have the answer to their troubles, but more often than not he did, somehow.
Which of course perpetuated the rumor that he was some kind of all-knowing genius. It wasn't the image he wanted to project, but at least it was a compliment of sorts. Besides, what was he supposed to do, stop helping people? Even then, this girl barely even knew who he was, least of all who a lot of people thought he was. So... no harm could be done.
Her brother... This could be interesting.
"Why are you worried about your brother?"
Steven blinked and stared at a wasp that was buzzing around his head. He temporarily seized up, almost expecting a sudden pain as it stung him on whatever piece of exposed skin it could find. Luckily the small yellow creature lost interest and buzzed off, leaving Steven to return his gaze to Lily, who'd suddenly asked for advice.
Steven was no stranger to this; his general reputation as far more intelligent than he really was had lead to people asking soliciting him for advice all throughout high school and outside of it. He wasn't really sure why they thought he would have the answer to their troubles, but more often than not he did, somehow.
Which of course perpetuated the rumor that he was some kind of all-knowing genius. It wasn't the image he wanted to project, but at least it was a compliment of sorts. Besides, what was he supposed to do, stop helping people? Even then, this girl barely even knew who he was, least of all who a lot of people thought he was. So... no harm could be done.
Her brother... This could be interesting.
"Why are you worried about your brother?"
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Lily sighed and put her book down on her lap, open pages facing downwards. "My brother is a political activist," she told Steven. "Ever since he started high school, he's been interested in the whole political process. He likes to spend a lot of his free time posting to blogs. I've read some of them, and he can put a lot of words in them, believe me.
"But usually he doesn't really froth at the mouth that much. He's kind of a devil's advocate, if that makes any sense. He's on Debate Team, too."
Lily yawned and stretched her shoulders. "Sorry. Today's gymnastics session was pretty demanding.
"Anyway, I'd like to say he doesn't get up in arms over any particular issue, but that's not true. There's one very big passion he has, and that's protesting that awful TV show, Survival of the Fittest. It's gotten to the point where he hates all reality TV shows by proxy."
She looked up and into Steven's eyes. "I'm worried that he's going to obsess about it, and if colleges are as politically charged as I've heard they are, it's only going to get worse. What if he starts assaulting fans of the show? What if he bombs a TV station?"
She blinked, then chuckled and shook her head. "You must think I'm overreacting, right?" she asked. "There's probably no way he'll do anything like that. I'm just worried about him, you know? He's my brother and I don't want to see him get hurt because of what he believes him. Even if I mostly agree with him."
"But usually he doesn't really froth at the mouth that much. He's kind of a devil's advocate, if that makes any sense. He's on Debate Team, too."
Lily yawned and stretched her shoulders. "Sorry. Today's gymnastics session was pretty demanding.
"Anyway, I'd like to say he doesn't get up in arms over any particular issue, but that's not true. There's one very big passion he has, and that's protesting that awful TV show, Survival of the Fittest. It's gotten to the point where he hates all reality TV shows by proxy."
She looked up and into Steven's eyes. "I'm worried that he's going to obsess about it, and if colleges are as politically charged as I've heard they are, it's only going to get worse. What if he starts assaulting fans of the show? What if he bombs a TV station?"
She blinked, then chuckled and shook her head. "You must think I'm overreacting, right?" she asked. "There's probably no way he'll do anything like that. I'm just worried about him, you know? He's my brother and I don't want to see him get hurt because of what he believes him. Even if I mostly agree with him."
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AtomicWaffle†
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"Look... if he's got such strong political beliefs, there really isn't much you can do to stop them, and if you try he will just get more aggressive with them... I think what you've got to do is remind him of what his own political beliefs actually are..."
Steven paused, and looked straight at Lily.
"Survival of the Fittest is all about fear. They want people to panic, to feel like they are completely vulnerable. They're also violent and murderous criminals, who've made a few hundred kids kill each other and broadcasted it on national television. What good would it do to blow up a TV Station, or attack people on the streets, if it's just going to create more fear and panic, and more dead bodies? Ow..."
He looked down and saw that he'd poked himself on a sharp little sliver on the park bench. It wasn't in the greatest condition by any stretch of the imagination. He brushed some of the small wood chips off of his pants. He continued.
"Sorry about that.... I honestly don't think someone would really go as far as to bomb a TV Station or hurt anybody... and I don't think you're overreacting, either. If he is as charged and aggressive as you say he is, he could get violent. Just remind him that he is protesting violence, and it's hypocritical to cause more of it; he'd understand, I think. He sounds like a smart guy."
Steven paused, and looked straight at Lily.
"Survival of the Fittest is all about fear. They want people to panic, to feel like they are completely vulnerable. They're also violent and murderous criminals, who've made a few hundred kids kill each other and broadcasted it on national television. What good would it do to blow up a TV Station, or attack people on the streets, if it's just going to create more fear and panic, and more dead bodies? Ow..."
He looked down and saw that he'd poked himself on a sharp little sliver on the park bench. It wasn't in the greatest condition by any stretch of the imagination. He brushed some of the small wood chips off of his pants. He continued.
"Sorry about that.... I honestly don't think someone would really go as far as to bomb a TV Station or hurt anybody... and I don't think you're overreacting, either. If he is as charged and aggressive as you say he is, he could get violent. Just remind him that he is protesting violence, and it's hypocritical to cause more of it; he'd understand, I think. He sounds like a smart guy."
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Lily nodded and looked away, her face flush with shame. "You're right," she told Steven. "He's pretty smart. He doesn't really have too many outbursts, not as long as he can vent online."
She gave him a sad smile. "The blogosphere. It sounds like something out of a science fiction story, doesn't it? So many people typing away, echoing each others arguments so often I'm surprised they're not sued for copyright infringement. Why does he even like it, anyway? You think it'd make him feel worse. I guess he just wants to practice rhetoric or something."
She glanced down at her book, which was then bookmarked by her thumb. It felt like it would soon begin to sweat, which meant that the moisture would warp the pages. If there was anything that annoyed Lily, it was wet papers. She took our her thumb and quickly replaced it with her index finger.
"Where was I? Oh yeah. So the reason I mentioned blowing up a TV station is because Roland figures that the SOTF fans are part of the problem. Not that big a part, but still a part. All of that money they spend on merchandise and memorabilia could be funneled to the people who make the show. And even if it isn't, it means that those people are complacent. That they'll shrug off any tragedy that doesn't involve them directly. Maybe even get a kick out of it. And I know Roland hates it, but that's just how people are!"
Her eyes began to tear up, but she managed to hold them in, at the cost of letting go of her words. "You know he makes pamphlets? Writes up some neat stuff in a way you can understand it and formats it in Powerpoint or whatever and, and, and prints out lots of copies and hands them out to people in the halls whenever he gets a free period. And when I see people throw them away without even having the decency to leave his field of vision... I just can't imagine how bad he must feel about that. That people just don't care about the President of Switzerland* or whatever."
After gulping and wiping her eyes, she looked right at Steven and took a deep breath before continuing. "I really hate to say this, but I think what he needs most right now is to accept that sometimes he can't change anything. I can't change who leads GODSpeed and he can't change the fact that people are self-centered at heart."
She unclenched her fists, forcing herself to forget about Rachel and get her mind back on track.
* Had Roland been with her, he would have pointed out that Switzerland does not have a presidency; instead their executive branch is actually a council of seven people, a feature exclusive to the Swiss government. Who wouldn't care about something like that?!
She gave him a sad smile. "The blogosphere. It sounds like something out of a science fiction story, doesn't it? So many people typing away, echoing each others arguments so often I'm surprised they're not sued for copyright infringement. Why does he even like it, anyway? You think it'd make him feel worse. I guess he just wants to practice rhetoric or something."
She glanced down at her book, which was then bookmarked by her thumb. It felt like it would soon begin to sweat, which meant that the moisture would warp the pages. If there was anything that annoyed Lily, it was wet papers. She took our her thumb and quickly replaced it with her index finger.
"Where was I? Oh yeah. So the reason I mentioned blowing up a TV station is because Roland figures that the SOTF fans are part of the problem. Not that big a part, but still a part. All of that money they spend on merchandise and memorabilia could be funneled to the people who make the show. And even if it isn't, it means that those people are complacent. That they'll shrug off any tragedy that doesn't involve them directly. Maybe even get a kick out of it. And I know Roland hates it, but that's just how people are!"
Her eyes began to tear up, but she managed to hold them in, at the cost of letting go of her words. "You know he makes pamphlets? Writes up some neat stuff in a way you can understand it and formats it in Powerpoint or whatever and, and, and prints out lots of copies and hands them out to people in the halls whenever he gets a free period. And when I see people throw them away without even having the decency to leave his field of vision... I just can't imagine how bad he must feel about that. That people just don't care about the President of Switzerland* or whatever."
After gulping and wiping her eyes, she looked right at Steven and took a deep breath before continuing. "I really hate to say this, but I think what he needs most right now is to accept that sometimes he can't change anything. I can't change who leads GODSpeed and he can't change the fact that people are self-centered at heart."
She unclenched her fists, forcing herself to forget about Rachel and get her mind back on track.
* Had Roland been with her, he would have pointed out that Switzerland does not have a presidency; instead their executive branch is actually a council of seven people, a feature exclusive to the Swiss government. Who wouldn't care about something like that?!
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AtomicWaffle†
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- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 6:55 am
"It is how people are, and there really isn't anything anyone can do about it. A lot of the problems that occur in the world today, in my opinion, are based off people directing their energy to nowhere causes... People tend to get fired up about politics and all that because it makes them feel like they're in the right, and it gives their lives a bit more meaning. If he's as fanatical as you say he is, the only thing you can really do is try and talk some sense into him until his soapbox crumples. If-"
Steven was in mid-sentence when an odd feeling burst through the left side of his chest and permeated through his spine, followed by a muffled whirring noise. He reached into the front pocket of his jacket and pulled out his old, cracked and worn mobile phone. The whirring continued as the phone furiously vibrated, beckoning for someone to open it and communicate with whoever was on the other line. Fortunately for the phone, Steven was just about to do that.
"Sorry about this."
From the speaker came a familiar voice. His mother, and she sounded more than a tad angry, and a bit distressed. He tried to pick out some of the hastily spattered words over the phone, and though he couldn't quite understand all of what she was saying, the jist of it was that he had best get home quickly because she'd all but given up trying to deal with his uncle, and the guy refused to leave their house until Steven came home and talked to him. Lovely. He interrupted her briefly, as Lily was probably getting a bit uncomfortable having Steven sit there vacantly listening to someone over the phone.
"Mom.... Mom! I'll get there as soon as I can, just let me finish up something, okay?"
Closing the phone quickly, he immediately got up off of the bench and looked out towards the parking lot, then back towards Lily. He felt bad that he couldn't keep talking to her, so he quickly picked an old receipt from his pocket and a pen, and wrote his name and number on it, before handing it to Lily.
"Sorry.... Look, I've gotta go. One of my relatives, he's a bit of a nutjob... He's harassing my Mom and trying to convince her that he can cure me of 'The Gay' and he demanded that I come home and talk to him.... so I've got to basically chase him 'outta my house. I've gotta go, but... if you ever need someone to talk to, just call me on this number. I should be around."
He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, and checked his pockets for all of his various personal effects. They all checked out. Now, to go home. He waved Lily goodbye as he speed-walked away.
"...Bye!"
((Steven Hunt Continued In Decisions, Decisions))
Steven was in mid-sentence when an odd feeling burst through the left side of his chest and permeated through his spine, followed by a muffled whirring noise. He reached into the front pocket of his jacket and pulled out his old, cracked and worn mobile phone. The whirring continued as the phone furiously vibrated, beckoning for someone to open it and communicate with whoever was on the other line. Fortunately for the phone, Steven was just about to do that.
"Sorry about this."
From the speaker came a familiar voice. His mother, and she sounded more than a tad angry, and a bit distressed. He tried to pick out some of the hastily spattered words over the phone, and though he couldn't quite understand all of what she was saying, the jist of it was that he had best get home quickly because she'd all but given up trying to deal with his uncle, and the guy refused to leave their house until Steven came home and talked to him. Lovely. He interrupted her briefly, as Lily was probably getting a bit uncomfortable having Steven sit there vacantly listening to someone over the phone.
"Mom.... Mom! I'll get there as soon as I can, just let me finish up something, okay?"
Closing the phone quickly, he immediately got up off of the bench and looked out towards the parking lot, then back towards Lily. He felt bad that he couldn't keep talking to her, so he quickly picked an old receipt from his pocket and a pen, and wrote his name and number on it, before handing it to Lily.
"Sorry.... Look, I've gotta go. One of my relatives, he's a bit of a nutjob... He's harassing my Mom and trying to convince her that he can cure me of 'The Gay' and he demanded that I come home and talk to him.... so I've got to basically chase him 'outta my house. I've gotta go, but... if you ever need someone to talk to, just call me on this number. I should be around."
He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, and checked his pockets for all of his various personal effects. They all checked out. Now, to go home. He waved Lily goodbye as he speed-walked away.
"...Bye!"
((Steven Hunt Continued In Decisions, Decisions))
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler AtomicWaffle.
Lily waved to Stephen as he hastily got up from the bench and walked away from her. She opened her book and resumed her place, but she barely got fifteen seconds of reading time in before she heard another, louder voice interrupt her.
"Yo, Lily!"
((Roland Hayes continued from Debate Exposes Doubt))
She looked up to see her brother jogging across the campus, panting heavily. From the looks of him, he'd been exerting himself for a while now, probably looking for her. "Roland! What's going on? Is something wrong?"
Roland gave himself time to catch his breath before answering. He could hear his pulse throbbing away in his ears. Christ, how out of shape was he? He made a mental note to drag himself to the gym at the first opportunity.
"Lily, it's... it's dad. He's in the hospital. Mom wants us there ASAP."
Lily's own heart fluttered, and she soon busied herself with violently zipping open her backpack and sliding Paradise Lost inside. "The hospital?" she exclaimed, struggling with closing the thing back up. "What happened?"
Roland stood up straight, now recovered from being winded. "He fell down the stairs. Broke his leg. He'll be fine, nothing he can't recover from."
Lily's backpack finally started to cooperate. "Good to hear," she replied, "but we should probably hurry on over anyway." She started to run across campus to the car lot, but had to wait for Roland to catch up to her before she could get into his car.
Lackluster constitution aside, Roland soon made it to the driver's side seat and started the car, with Lily riding shotgun. It wasn't until they made it to the highway when Roland asked, "So what were you doing on that bench, anyway? Just looking for a quiet place to read?"
Lily shook her head. "Well, not exactly," she admitted. "I saw Stephen Hunt reading there, and I thought I'd go talk to him. See how things were going."
"The guy who got mugged?" Roland asked, cocking an eyebrow that Lily had trouble seeing, since Roland's eyes never left the road. "I didn't think you knew him."
She sighed. "I didn't. I thought maybe he was still hung up on that, so I tried to help him, but he was fine." She directed her attention to Paradise Lost again, which she'd gotten out of her backpack since the drive started.
"Thought so," Roland said. Almost immediately he realized how smug his tone must have sounded to Lily. "Sorry. No harm done, right? You have a nice talk with him about other things?"
Lily hesitated a bit. She didn't want to hurt Roland's feelings by bringing up the hysterical concerns she shared with Stephen. "Yeah, we mostly talked about... what was it... Catch-22. He was reading it. Seemed to have a bit of difficulty with it."
Roland chuckled and gave the windshield a wide grin. "Hope you told him to stick with it. It's more than worth it, believe me."
"Yeah, I did." Argument averted, thank goodness.
Most of the ride continued in silence, Roland concentrating on the road and Lily on her book. Eventually they arrived at the hospital, walking into their relieved mother's arms.
((Roland Hayes continued in A Few Administration Issues))
((Lillian Hayes continued in Angst and Sullenness in Saint Paul))
"Yo, Lily!"
((Roland Hayes continued from Debate Exposes Doubt))
She looked up to see her brother jogging across the campus, panting heavily. From the looks of him, he'd been exerting himself for a while now, probably looking for her. "Roland! What's going on? Is something wrong?"
Roland gave himself time to catch his breath before answering. He could hear his pulse throbbing away in his ears. Christ, how out of shape was he? He made a mental note to drag himself to the gym at the first opportunity.
"Lily, it's... it's dad. He's in the hospital. Mom wants us there ASAP."
Lily's own heart fluttered, and she soon busied herself with violently zipping open her backpack and sliding Paradise Lost inside. "The hospital?" she exclaimed, struggling with closing the thing back up. "What happened?"
Roland stood up straight, now recovered from being winded. "He fell down the stairs. Broke his leg. He'll be fine, nothing he can't recover from."
Lily's backpack finally started to cooperate. "Good to hear," she replied, "but we should probably hurry on over anyway." She started to run across campus to the car lot, but had to wait for Roland to catch up to her before she could get into his car.
Lackluster constitution aside, Roland soon made it to the driver's side seat and started the car, with Lily riding shotgun. It wasn't until they made it to the highway when Roland asked, "So what were you doing on that bench, anyway? Just looking for a quiet place to read?"
Lily shook her head. "Well, not exactly," she admitted. "I saw Stephen Hunt reading there, and I thought I'd go talk to him. See how things were going."
"The guy who got mugged?" Roland asked, cocking an eyebrow that Lily had trouble seeing, since Roland's eyes never left the road. "I didn't think you knew him."
She sighed. "I didn't. I thought maybe he was still hung up on that, so I tried to help him, but he was fine." She directed her attention to Paradise Lost again, which she'd gotten out of her backpack since the drive started.
"Thought so," Roland said. Almost immediately he realized how smug his tone must have sounded to Lily. "Sorry. No harm done, right? You have a nice talk with him about other things?"
Lily hesitated a bit. She didn't want to hurt Roland's feelings by bringing up the hysterical concerns she shared with Stephen. "Yeah, we mostly talked about... what was it... Catch-22. He was reading it. Seemed to have a bit of difficulty with it."
Roland chuckled and gave the windshield a wide grin. "Hope you told him to stick with it. It's more than worth it, believe me."
"Yeah, I did." Argument averted, thank goodness.
Most of the ride continued in silence, Roland concentrating on the road and Lily on her book. Eventually they arrived at the hospital, walking into their relieved mother's arms.
((Roland Hayes continued in A Few Administration Issues))
((Lillian Hayes continued in Angst and Sullenness in Saint Paul))
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Solitair. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.